EU states to raise game as Arctic becomes strategic geopolitical frontier

Europe racing Russia, China and US to seize security and economic opportunities.

Al JazeeraAl Jazeera Staff2026-09-14 17:30查看原文 ↗

Europe racing Russia, China and US to seize security and economic opportunities.

Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a joint leaders' press conference during the European Arctic Summit on September 14, 2026 at the Arktikum Science Centre in Rovaniemi, Finland [Jouni Porsanger TT/AFP]

European Union member states have agreed to increase investment in the Arctic amid a growing scramble for security advantages and vast natural resources.

Labelling the Arctic a “geopolitical hotspot”, a Monday meeting involving 12 countries called for the EU to “take on a more strategic and proactive role in the European Arctic”, meeting participants said in a joint statement.

The meeting, which featured the leaders of Finland, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden, focused on the race for influence over the Arctic as receding ice opens opportunities in the northern region. The discussion identified Russia as the largest threat to the European Arctic, but also noted the ambitions of China and the United States.

“This region has become a geopolitical hotspot,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a news conference.

Despite Germany not being an Arctic country, Merz said his presence at the summit testified to the importance of the region to overall European security and suggested years of relative neglect should end.

“Let me put it this way: High north – and low attention – is over,” he said.

Russia, Canada, Iceland, Norway and the United States are considered Arctic countries, in addition to EU members Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

All have become involved in increasing geopolitical competition over the region as the retreat of ice sheets – spurred by climate change – has exposed its security and economic opportunities.

Russia has beefed up its military presence in recent years, reopening and modernising bases abandoned since the Soviet Union collapsed.

“Russia poses the most significant and long-term threat to Arctic security and stability. In order to respond to the threat posed by Russia, the EU must treat the Arctic as a strategic frontier,” said Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo after the meeting.

The warming climate is opening up the Arctic for shipping, fishing, drilling and mining. China has made no secret of its interest in the territory, which is rich in natural resources.

The race has also stirred tension among NATO allies. Greenland, which is not part of the EU but overseen by Denmark, has become a bone of contention between the EU and the United States, with US President Trump claiming that Denmark cannot protect the Arctic island from Russia and China.

“I think everybody recognised that Greenland has been under a big pressure,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Last week, the European Union signed a declaration with Greenland, promising a stronger partnership and announcing a 200-million-euro ($232m) investment package to soothe anxiety caused by repeated threats from Trump to annex the self-governing territory.

欧洲正与俄罗斯、中国和美国展开激烈的竞争，以抢占安全和经济机遇。

2026年9月14日，芬兰总理佩特里·奥尔波和德国总理弗里德里希·默茨在芬兰罗瓦涅米北极科学中心举行的欧洲北极峰会期间举行联合领导人新闻发布会。[Jouni Porsanger TT/AFP]

在争夺安全优势和丰富自然资源的日益激烈的竞争中，欧盟成员国已同意增加对北极的投资。

周一，12 个国家举行会议，将北极称为“地缘政治热点”，并呼吁欧盟“在欧洲北极地区发挥更具战略性和积极性的作用”。与会者在一份联合声明中表示。

此次会议汇聚了芬兰、丹麦、爱沙尼亚、法国、希腊、德国、拉脱维亚、立陶宛、荷兰、波兰、罗马尼亚和瑞典的领导人，重点讨论了随着冰层消融为北极地区带来新的机遇，各方在北极地区争夺影响力的问题。讨论指出，俄罗斯是欧洲北极地区面临的最大威胁，但也提及了中国和美国的野心。

德国总理弗里德里希·默茨在新闻发布会上表示：“该地区已成为地缘政治热点。”

尽管德国不是北极国家，但梅尔茨表示，他出席此次峰会证明了该地区对欧洲整体安全的重要性，并建议结束多年来相对忽视该地区的做法。

“这么说吧：高纬度地区——以及低关注度——已经结束了，”他说。

除了欧盟成员国芬兰、瑞典和丹麦之外，俄罗斯、加拿大、冰岛、挪威和美国也被认为是北极国家。

随着气候变化导致冰盖消退，该地区的安全和经济机遇暴露无遗，所有国家都卷入了该地区日益激烈的地缘政治竞争。

近年来，俄罗斯加强了军事存在，重新开放并现代化了苏联解体后废弃的军事基地。

芬兰总理佩特里·奥尔波在会后表示：“俄罗斯对北极安全与稳定构成最重大、最长期的威胁。为了应对俄罗斯构成的威胁，欧盟必须将北极视为战略前沿。”